Convenire
by Elvendorked
Summary: Latin definition: 'To come together.' There are the three ways that Percy and Annabeth could have reunited. And then, of course, there is the one. Semi-AU. Post TSON. One-shot, complete.


**A.N. So I read TSON in about three hours.**

**You cannot comprehend how mad I was after I finished the book. No reunion scene? Every time I think about it, I just get angry and disappointed again. ****RICK RIORDAN I AM SO MAD AT YOU.**

**But apart from that, it is all good. Anyway, enough ranting (sorry), here is the story! Keep in mind that I had planned most of this out before the book's release, so it is semi-AU (e.g. Percy has not lost his Achilles Heel). As always, please review. ;)**

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><p>"<em>If love is just a game, how come I've never won?"<em>

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><p><em><strong>one.<strong>_

They were falling. And for once, Annabeth was out of control.

The wind rushed through her ears, the sky blurred and the smell of ozone was heavy. To say that they were literally skydiving was an understatement.

She prayed to Lord Zeus that he was being merciful today.

Distorted shouts echoed around her as they fell one thousand, two thousand, and _oh, Gods_, perhaps even three thousand feet through the air. Everything was happening so fast, it was all too sudden, too much of a blur. All Annabeth could do was to hold onto the rigging for dear life (which in fact, she was) and hope that Jason could somehow use his incredible levitating skills to get them out of this mess.

_Oh, Gods…_

She could not, _would not_, die today. Not when she was so close…

_Oh, Gods_—

If Rachel were here, Annabeth could just imagine her shaking her head and saying, "I knew this would happen." It was all rather ironic.

Athena did not have a plan. And so, for the first time in quite a while, Annabeth felt truly afraid.

They were getting closer, _oh, Gods_, and even closer. Birds screeched. People screamed. Closer. _OhGodsohGodsohGods_—

Then came the massive 'KABOOM!' and Annabeth did not know which way was up or down, or whether all her limbs were still attached, or even whether she was still alive. In fact, she did not know much at all.

But she did know that the Romans would not take too kindly to having a flying ship crash into their lake.

She thanked the Gods that they collided with the lake, and not the ground.

In the midst of everything, the last thing Annabeth could remember thinking was how the shade of the water reminded her of only one thing: Percy's eyes.

**» Δ Δ Δ «**

When Annabeth came to, she was lying on a soft, hay mattress surrounded by other half-bloods in similar conditions to her own. The sun was shielded by a large, white cloth above, creating a canopy.

The infirmary.

Her head was throbbing, her throat was sore from the lack of water and her lungs felt like they had been boiled twice over. Well, at least she knew that she was not with Hades yet.

Her eyes shifted to the figure sitting by her bedside, who had his head drooped, as if he was falling asleep. Annabeth would recognise that mop of black hair anywhere.

"Percy?" she asked hesitantly. After all, who else could it be?

The figure jerked his head up, proving Annabeth right. His hand went immediately to his pocket, as if about to draw Riptide, but then seemingly remembered where he was.

"Annabeth!" he cried, startled. "Uh, how's your head? You bumped it pretty hard."

Annabeth just stared at him. They had not seen each other for over _eight months_ and the first thing he says to her is, 'How's your head?' Not even an 'Annabeth, I've missed you,' or an 'I have amnesia, but I still remember you!' Not even a quick peck on the cheek.

Percy's head really was full of kelp. Needless to say, Annabeth was infuriated.

She tried to sit up, but her efforts were futile and eventually, she was just pushed back down by Percy. "Nuh uh," he said, grinning like his usual self, "You need to rest. We'll talk later."

Too tired to argue and confused by the way her supposed 'boyfriend' was acting, she listened to him for once and remained still. Percy got up, began to leave, but as he reached the foot of her bed, turned back and said:

"Oh, Annabeth? You drool in your sleep."

Annabeth opened her mouth, gaping like a fish, and watched him walk away.

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><p>"<em>Ah, love; a dreadful bond, and yet, so easily severed."<em>

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><p><em><strong>two.<strong>_

It obviously was not the first time that Annabeth had dueled with Percy. In fact, there had been countless times that she could recollect, and unfortunately for Percy, that meant mostly countless losses.

But it was the first time that Annabeth had dueled with a semi amnesiac-crazed-confused Percy. A Roman Percy.

And Annabeth was not liking it one bit.

She did not even know how it started. One minute, she was battling some butt-ugly Roman, and the next, the sword that clashed with hers was Riptide. Then what choice did she have but to fight him?

He had gotten better, no doubt about that. His once uneven Greek training was now polished, his style had become more offensive than defensive and his stance was different from before.

As for his physical qualities… well, Annabeth could not _help_ but stare as she dodged and counter-attacked with a parry of her own. His hair was as unruly and shaggy as ever, but he was at least two inches taller than the last time she saw him and he was definitely more muscular; like he had been working out in a gymnasium 24/7.

But those eyes, those eyes were the same as they always were; right now, regarding her with an insightful curiosity, penetrating right into her soul.

Amnesia: from _'amnestos,' _Greek for 'forgetfulness.' The bane of her existence.

There was nothing she could do now. Defeating him was a must. She slashed at his arm, but his skin felt like iron. She somehow had to get behind…

The commotion around her was completely unnecessary. Although they had bore a white flag, and although they had not destroyed any monuments, and although Jason had floated to the ground with his arms raised; one shout from a skinny guy holding a stuffed animal had a whole bunch of Romans charging at them.

And well, that was when all Hades broke loose.

The Greeks, or the _'Graeci,'_ were, of course, hopelessly outnumbered. But they stood their ground.

In front of her, Percy slashed. The blood oozing from her arm reminded her that this was not a game of capture-the-flag; and that she could not afford to let down her guard again. This was not Percy. This was just a clean, perfected, well-oiled version of Percy.

So, as painful as it was, Percy must be treated like the enemy.

Their weapons clanged once again, bronze on bronze, and using the thrust as leverage, Annabeth vaulted over his head and down on the other side, immediately pressing the heel of her knife against the small of his back.

Percy spun around at once, staggered, eyes and mouth widening in shock. Or in pain – Annabeth could not tell. His body shuddered and convulsed, like he had been hit by Thalia's electric spear.

For a moment, Annabeth was genuinely afraid that he had hurt him – she had not thought, she had never—

But then he choked out, _"Who are you?"_

And all her feelings vanished just as quickly as they had come. Now it was Annabeth's turn to gasp; her lungs stopped breathing; her brain stopped working; her heart stopped beating. The world stopped turning. For a moment, everything was frozen.

Three words. Those dreaded three words had rendered her speechless.

"Annabeth!" someone cried, too late. The illusion was shattered.

Annabeth's vision clouded, and the world closed in.

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><p>"<em>Be careful of love. It'll twist your brain around and leave you thinking up is down and right is wrong."<em>

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><p><em><strong>three.<strong>_

Somehow, their reunion was, in a nutshell, perfect. Right down to the very last detail: the smooth landing of the ship, the stern but welcoming faces of the Romans and, of course: Percy. Sweet, caring Percy who shouted her name as soon as she stepped off the ship. Who ran towards her as she ran towards him. Who picked her up and spun her around and around until she was dizzy. Riptide did not even have to make an appearance. It was all Annabeth could have dreamed for.

Those hundreds of sleepless nights spent worrying? Not needed.

Those thousands of hours spent hoping? Not needed.

Those million what-ifs running through her mind every day? Not needed.

Annabeth could almost _laugh_ at how incredibly _stupid _she had been these past few months. But then, she just thinks of the excruciating pain, the pain she put herself through; and the memories are so vivid, so haunting, that she cannot bring herself to do it.

In reality, from a spectator's point of view, the reunion was a sprint off the ship (on Annabeth's part), into Percy's arms, some whispered words and a kiss. The kiss to end all kisses.

But in Annabeth's mind, it was much more than that.

**» Δ Δ Δ «**

The last few moments before the ship landed were the worst. Before that, she had tried in vain to distract herself – whether it was scolding the Stolls, or hanging out with Piper, or designing a new Olympian building – but all of that pretty much went out the window when Leo announced "Rome, ahoy!"

Suddenly, she was biting her nails, playing with her hair, fidgeting with the hem of her shirt, anything – _anything – _to keep her mind off Percy, which evidently, was proving impossible. Her ADHD was going haywire, her brain working overtime as she tried to push all thoughts (worries) of 'he doesn't remember' and 'he has a new girlfriend' out of her mind.

Time must have shifted, because suddenly, they were on the ground and the ladder was being lowered and people were hustling and bustling and she was not ready, she was just _not ready_—

At least the ship did not crash. She would not have liked that.

Annabeth wanted to scream, wanted to shout, wanted to curl up into a ball and cry – but she had to be strong, for Percy. And so, with each deliberate step on the wooden floorboards humming in her ears, she crossed the ship, took a deep breath and began to descend.

Each step further away from the ship, was a step closer to Percy.

Her head, to put it simply, was empty. There were no thoughts of right or wrong, or a calculation of the correct trajectory angle, nor was there any rational thinking involved; like what in the Hades what she doing?

Time bent again, because the ladder felt far too short for its length. She was not ready, she was not ready—

"Annabeth!"

_Too late._

_That voice. _It could not be—

But it was. She did not even need to look up before her feet took off for her, running, running, running towards that voice. The voice she had been hearing inside her head for several months now.

It seemed like an eternity, similar to those movies where everything shifts to slow motion. Eventually, they collided with each other, his arms wrapping around her shoulders as he held her close, not willing to let go. Slowly, agonisingly, she looked up – and fell in love all over again.

Annabeth's breathed hitched, the sound of blood pounding in her ears drowning out everything else, every part of her skin tingling in anticipation.

Because, oh, _that face. _Oh, it was the face that she had watched change over five years, it was the face that she had yearned to see for nine months; ultimately, it was the face of the boy she loved.

"Oh, Percy," she sighed, throwing her own arms around his neck and burying her face into his shoulder. "Oh, Percy."

"Wise Girl." He picked her up and swung her around like she was a little kid, and she was reminded of the time he had taken her to the theme park. There had been candyfloss and milkshakes and she had nearly thrown up from all the adrenaline—

Annabeth let out a breath that she did not know she had been holding, her insides relaxed from being so contracted for the past nine months, and asked the question that she would later think was her most stupid one: "You remember me?"

Percy regarded her with an amused expression; eyes dancing, almost smirking, "How could I forget?"

And then she was laughing, drunk on her own euphoria, crying from pure exhilaration. One look into Percy's eyes told her that he felt exactly the same way.

"Wise Girl," he said again, simultaneously catching her hand as it stroked his face, and leaned in, closer.

And the world just kind of fell away after that.

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><p><strong>~o~O~o~<strong>

"_I said, 'I said I love you like the stars above, I'll love you 'till I die.'"_

**~o~O~o~**

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><p><em><strong>one.<strong>_

Percy stared.

Annabeth stared straight back.

Oh, it was him alright. She would not forget that black hair and those ocean-green eyes for the world. As for that sword, well, that was definitely Riptide, no doubt about it. It was the only weapon that was not golden.

Time had stopped. Annabeth was frozen. Every muscle in her body screamed at her to move, to _run_ towards him, but whether she could not, or _would not_, she did not know. Her heart was on fire, beating supersonic, his name was stuck in her throat. Only one thought flashed in neon capitals across her mind: 'He doesn't remember.'

Percy bolted.

Wait, what?

They did not even get a chance to talk.

**» Δ Δ Δ «**

Annabeth leaves him alone for three days to think. Three days and two nights should be enough time for anybody to think, let alone a dense Kelp Head like Percy. In a way, she understood what it was like to be Percy, and she understood why he did what he did. And well, running away from her on sight, it was just a very… _Percy_ thing to do.

She could not deny that it did not hurt though. All the time on the ship, she was preparing herself for the worst, mentally reprimanding herself every time that she thought different; but there was always a part of her that had hoped—

Nevertheless, it did not matter now. What was done was done, and there was no use dwelling over it.

**» Δ Δ Δ «**

Annabeth found him on the shore of the lake, lying down, hands behind his head, staring at the stars. Slowly, gingerly, with her invisibility cap on, she lay down beside him, hardly making a sound.

"Beautiful, aren't they? They're always the same, wherever you are."

Her words caused Percy to turn sharply towards the direction of her voice. Realisation dawned after the initial shock; he reached out his hands, and having patted her head, pulled the cap off.

"Annabeth," he said. It was a statement, sure, unwavering and resolute. Annabeth nearly sighed in relief.

They lay there for a few moments, in companionable silence, looking up at the vast night sky. Then at the same time:

"I'm sorr—"

"Percy—"

Her eyes told him to carry on, so he did. "I'm sorry," he said, "for everything."

When Annabeth made no comment, he continued, "It's just that, when I saw you, standing there by the ship, my brain went haywire, all these heaps of memories started flooding back, like multiple videos playing all at the same time, and well, I couldn't cope and I was also… scared."

"Scared of what?"

"Well… scared of you, mostly." He flashed her an apologetic smile, at which she shrugged.

"I was scared of what just the sight of you could do to me," he continued. "And well, I suppose, scared of myself too. Scared of what I was capable of. And ever since then, I've been having all these _dreams_, and I don't know which ones are real, or which ones are visions—"

Annabeth surprised him, and herself, by rolling onto her stomach and cutting him off with a short, chaste kiss. "I forgive you, Seaweed Brain. Just don't ever _ever _do that to me again, or there will be much more than just strange dreams coming your way."

She paused, deep in thought, "As for those dreams, most of them are probably real. You _have _done some pretty odd things in your past."

Together, they stared at the sky again. Percy pointed at one particular constellation in the sky, "Zoë, the Huntress?"

She nodded, "Living forever in the stars."

"Yeah, she had this," he twirled Riptide (in pen form) between his fingers. "She was a hero among heroes."

More silence.

"How many times have I nearly died?"

His abrupt question disrupted her peaceful thoughts. An involuntary bubble of laughs escaped her lips – the question was so unexpected, so random. "Well…" she began, counting on her fingers, "the Minotaur could have skewered you like a kebab; you voluntarily jumped off St Louis' arch; Medusa could have petrified you, now _that_ was a close call; Ares could have beaten you to pulp—"

"Wait, wasn't that all in our first quest?"

"Well, we could all have died multiple times in any one quest, you especially, being the Seaweed Brain you are."

He smiled in recognition of his old nickname. "I seem to recall one particular Wise Girl promising to never ever make it easy for me," he teased.

"I'm doing a pretty good job on that one, if you ask me."

He suddenly sat up and grinned at her mischievously, like a child with a wicked scheme. He offered her a hand, "That reminds me, since there's a lake and all…"

She was already one step ahead of him as she jumped up and dragged him into the water along with her. "Midnight swim?"

The pair dived down to the bottom of the lake, scattering shoals of small fish. The moonlight created shafts of light around them, illuminating the sandy floor. Percy created a large air bubble; Annabeth wrapped her arms around his neck, and he wrapped his own around her waist. "Feeling nostalgic?" he asked.

"Mmm, just a bit," she replied, holding him close, "I've missed you."

"I love you, Wise Girl."

And from that moment, it was pretty much the best underwater kiss of all time.

Annabeth was not foolish enough to believe that the rest of their life was going to be like this, Hades, she did not even know how much he had remembered yet; but she thought that it was a good start at the very least. _Something permanent._ She thinks that they are well on their way.

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><p><em>Fin.<em>

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><p><strong>A.N. Okay, so I have read plenty where 'The Achilles spot triggers the memory!' or 'The nickname triggers the memory!' and as much as those make me smile uncontrollably and makes me feel all gooey inside, I wanted to try something different. <strong>_**So, which one was your favourite?**_

**Please please please review! I spent an insane amount of time, perhaps too long actually, thinking, planning and **_**finally**_** writing this (8 full pages on a Word .doc okay?). This is possibly the longest creative writing story I have ever written. **

**I am begging you.**

**~The Moonlit Waters.**

**P.S. And yes, it is '**_**Graeci**_**,' plural of '**_**Graecus**_**.' I take Latin.**


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